Game processing system, method of processing game, and storage medium storing program for processing game

ABSTRACT

A game processing system for processing of a game that provides interaction with a virtual character according to one embodiment includes a storage that stores action data for specifying one or more actions of the virtual character and one or more computer processors. The game includes a VR mode in which the game progresses in accordance with detection information obtained by a head mounted display. The one or more processors determine an action of the player performed toward the virtual character based on the detection information obtained by the head mounted display attached to the head of the player, cause the virtual character to interact with the player based on the action of the player; and suspend execution of the VR mode if a suspension condition is satisfied.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Ser. No.16/268,728, filed on Feb. 6, 2019, and claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. 119 from Japanese Patent Application Serial No.2018-019004 (filed on Feb. 6, 2018), Japanese Patent Application SerialNo. 2018-115088 (filed on Jun. 18, 2018) and Japanese Patent ApplicationSerial No. 2018-218066 (filed on Nov. 21, 2018), the contents of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a game processing system forprocessing a game that provides interaction with a virtual character, amethod of processing a game, and a storage medium storing a program forprocessing a game.

BACKGROUND

Simulation games that provide interaction with a virtual character areknown. An example of the simulation game is disclosed in Japanese PatentApplication Publication No. 2017-184842 (“the '842 Publication”).

In such a simulation game, reactions that a virtual character makes inresponse to an operation input by a player are predetermined. Forexample, in the '842 Publication, a number of response alternatives to aquestion made by a virtual character is presented to a player, and theplayer selects one of the response alternatives. The next question fromthe virtual character is predetermined for each alternative, and thevirtual character may ask the next question according to the selectionof the player.

Games providing such interaction with a virtual character may utilize ahead mounted display (hereinafter may be referred to as “HMD”) in orderto enhance player's sense of immersion in the games. For example, knownis a VR game in which a virtual space is displayed on an HMD, and aplayer wearing the HMD can interact with a virtual character appearingin the virtual space. “SUMMER LESSON” which is a product of BANDAI NAMCOEntertainment Co., Ltd. is known as this type of VR game (see “SummerLesson”, [online], retrieved on 12 Dec. 2017, Internet (URL: HYPERLINK“http://summer-lesson.bn-ent.net/).

In the game “SUMMER LESSON,” realized is a function of specifying aninteraction with a virtual character depending on detection informationobtained by a tracking sensor of the HMD and causing the player toexperience the specified interaction.

For example, when the player wearing the HMD nods in response to amovement of an image of a virtual character displayed on the HMD, amotion of the player's head corresponding to the nodding is detected.Based on the detected motion of the head, an image of the virtualcharacter that performs an action responding to the nodding of theplayer is displayed on the HMD.

In this way, a conventional VR game in which interaction with a virtualcharacter is performed using the HMD, an image of a virtual space isdisplayed so as to follow a motion of a player's head, and the playerexperiences interaction with the virtual character in accordance withthe motion of the head so that the player can obtain a high immersionfeeling.

When a player interacts with a virtual character using an HMD, theplayer may perform various actions toward the virtual character. Whenactions of the player toward the virtual character are diversified,there arises a problem that the amount of data of information forspecifying the actions (reactions) of the virtual character to be madein response to the player's action increases.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a technicalimprovement which solves or alleviates at least part of the drawbacks ofthe prior art mentioned above.

A game processing system according to one aspect of the disclosureincludes a storage that stores action data for specifying one or moreactions of a virtual character and one or more computer processors. Thesystem performs processing of a game that provides interaction with thevirtual character. In the game processing system, the one or moreprocessors execute computer readable instructions to determine an actionwhich a player performed toward the virtual character based on detectioninformation obtained by a head mounted display attached to a head of theplayer, cause the virtual character to perform a first action based onthe action of the player and first action data among the action data forspecifying the one or more actions of the virtual character, and suspendexecution of the first action when a suspension condition is satisfiedduring the execution of the first action.

In the game processing system, the one or more computer processors maycause the virtual character to perform a second action based on theaction of the player and second action data among the action data forspecifying the one or more actions of the virtual character when thesuspension condition is satisfied.

In the game processing system, the game may include a first scene and asecond scene, the first action may be executed in the first scene, andthe one or more computer processors may suspend execution of the firstscene when the suspension condition is satisfied.

In the game processing system, the one or more computer processors maycause switching to a second scene of the game when the suspensioncondition is satisfied.

In the game processing system, the game may include a first mode inwhich the game progresses in accordance with an input from aninformation processing device unattached to the head of the player and asecond mode in which the game progresses in accordance with thedetection information of the head mounted display. The first action maybe executed in the second mode, and the one or more computer processorsmay suspend the second mode and perform a switch process for switchingto the first mode when the suspension condition is satisfied.

In the game processing system, the game may include a first scene and asecond scene, the first action may be executed in the first scene, theone or more computer processors may cause displaying a scene transitionscreen on a display when the suspension condition is satisfied, and thescene transition screen is also displayed on the display when switchingfrom the first scene to the second scene is performed.

In the game processing system, the first action may include a mainaction composed of a series of actions of the virtual character, aninterrupt action executed while the main action is suspended, and areturn action performed after execution of the interrupt action.

In the game processing system, the one or more computer processors maydetermine whether the suspension condition is satisfied in response to aspecific action performed by the player during the execution of thefirst action, and executes the interrupt action when it is determinedthat the suspension condition is not satisfied.

In the game processing system, the suspension condition may include thata gazing point determined based on the detection information is locatedon a prohibited area set in a virtual space.

In the game processing system, the suspension condition may include thatthe player repeats a same action more than a predetermined number oftimes.

In the game processing system, the suspension condition may include thatthe player performs an action on a predetermined part of the virtualcharacter more than a predetermined number of times.

In the game processing system, the suspension condition may include thatthe player performs an action deemed as a banned action.

In the game processing system, the storage may store a parameter, theone or more computer processors may update the parameter in accordancewith an action of the player, and the suspension condition may include acondition related to the parameter.

A method of processing a game according to another aspect of thedisclosure is the method of processing a game that provides interactionwith a virtual character by executing computer readable instructions byone or more computer processor. The method includes determining anaction which a player performed toward the virtual character based ondetection information obtained by a head mounted display attached to ahead of the player, causing the virtual character to perform a firstaction based on the action of the player and first action data amongaction data for specifying one or more actions of the virtual character,and suspending execution of the first action when a suspension conditionis satisfied during the execution of the first action.

A computer-readable tangible non-transitory storage medium according toanother aspect of the disclosure stores a program for processing a gamethat provides interaction with a virtual character. Thecomputer-readable tangible non-transitory storage medium includesexecutable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computerprocessors to perform: a step of determining an action which a playerperformed toward the virtual character based on detection informationobtained by a head mounted display attached to a head of the player, astep of causing the virtual character to perform a first action based onthe action of the player and first action data among action data forspecifying one or more actions of the virtual character, and a step ofsuspending execution of the first action when a suspension condition issatisfied during the execution of the first action.

A game processing system according to still yet another aspect of thedisclosure includes a storage that stores scene data concerning each ofa plurality of game scenes constituting a scenario of a game, and one ormore computer processors, and performs processing of the game. The oneor more processors may execute computer readable instructions toprogress the game based on detection information obtained by a headmounted display attached to a head of a player, and to suspend executionof a first scene among the plurality of game scenes when a suspensioncondition is satisfied during the execution of the first scene.

According to the aspects, it is possible to prevent increase in theamount of data of information for specifying the actions (reactions) ofthe virtual character.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a game processing systemaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a head mounted display usable inthe game processing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the head mounted display wornby a player of the game.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates scenario data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mode switch in the game processed bythe game processing system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process in a chat mode according to anembodiment.

FIG. 7a shows an example of a display image in the chat mode accordingto an embodiment. The screen of FIG. 7a shows options of a message thatthe player is able to select.

FIG. 7b shows an example of a display image in the chat mode accordingto an embodiment. The screen of FIG. 7b shows the message selected bythe player.

FIG. 7c shows an example of a display image in the chat mode accordingto an embodiment. The screen of FIG. 7c shows a message for promptingthe player to switch to a VR mode, a message for selecting settings inthe VR mode, and a message for selecting an item used in the VR mode.

FIG. 7d shows an example of a display image in the chat mode accordingto an embodiment. The screen of FIG. 7d shows a switch start object.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a mode switch process according to anembodiment.

FIG. 9a shows an example of an image displayed in the mode switchprocess according to one embodiment. The screen of FIG. 9a showsguidance for prompting the player to attach a display to an attachment.

FIG. 9b shows an example of an image displayed in the switch processaccording to an embodiment. The screen of FIG. 9b shows a switch object.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process in the VR mode according to anembodiment.

FIG. 11 shows an example of an image displayed in the VR mode accordingto one embodiment.

FIG. 12 schematically shows a flow of actions performed by a virtualcharacter in a scene executed in the VR mode.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a game processing systemaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 14 schematically illustrates scenes constituting the game accordingto another embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Various embodiments of the disclosure will be described hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, thesame or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a game processing system according to anembodiment of the disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a blockdiagram of a game processing system 1 according to an embodiment, FIG. 2schematically illustrates a head mounted display 10 (hereinafterreferred to as “HMD 10”) used in the game processing system 1, and FIG.3 schematically illustrates the HMD 10 mounted on a player 5.

The game processing system 1 according to an embodiment realizes variousgames by executing game processing programs according to an embodiment.Using the game processing system 1, the player is able to play variousgames using a game content(s). Game contents are electronic data thatare used in a game and can be acquired, owned, used, managed, exchanged,integrated, reinforced, sold, abandoned, or donated in the game byusers. The game contents may be, for example, a card, an item, a virtualcurrency, a ticket, a character, an avatar, level information, statusinformation, parameter information (health, attack, and the like), andstatics information, skills, abilities, magic and jobs, and any othervarious electronic data usable in the game. However, the game contentsusable in the game processing system 1 and how the game contents areused may not be limited to those described in this specification. Forexample, the game processing system 1 can realize a game in which avirtual character and the player interact in a virtual space. The gamerealized by the game processing system 1 has a first mode and a secondmode. An example of the first mode is a chat mode, and an example of thesecond mode is a VR mode. The first mode and the second mode will bedescribed later.

The game processing system 1 includes the HMD 10 and a server 50. TheHMD 10 and the server 50 are communicably interconnected over a network40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the HMD 10 includes an attachment 11 that is to befitted on a human head and an information processing device 20 attachedto the attachment 11.

The attachment 11 includes a goggle-like casing 11 a having an opening11 d formed therein, a first belt 11 b and a second belt 11 c attachedto the casing 11 a, and a cover 11 e. The cover 11 e is attached to thecasing 11 a such that it is openable and closable. An opening 11 d isformed in a front portion of the casing 11 a. FIG. 2 shows the statewhere the cover 11 e is open. When the HMD 10 is used, the cover 11 e isclosed so as to close the opening 11 d.

The information processing device 20 is detachably provided on an innerside of the cover 11 e of the HMD 10. The information processing device20 includes a display 24. The information processing device 20 isattached to the cover 11 e such that the display 24 faces the inside ofthe casing 11 a when the cover 11 e is closed. The informationprocessing device 20 is attached to the attachment 11 when the HMD 10 isused. When the HMD 10 is not used, the information processing device 20is detached from the attachment 11.

In the illustrated embodiment, the information processing device 20 is asmartphone. In addition to the smartphone, the information processingdevice 20 may be a mobile phone, a tablet, a personal computer, anelectronic book reader, a wearable computer, a game console, or anyother information processing devices. The information processing device20 detached from the HMD 10 is operated by the player 5 in the firstmode as described later. In addition to games, the informationprocessing device 20 detached from the HMD 10 may be used for telephonecalls and Internet accesses depending on its originally intended use.

The information processing device 20 includes the display 24 asdescribed above. In the illustrated embodiment, when the informationprocessing device 20 is mounted on the attachment 11, the display 24serves as an apparatus for displaying an image in the HMD 10.Accordingly, when the HMD 10 is used to play a game, a virtual space anda virtual character(s) of the game, and images related to other gamesare displayed on the display 24.

The shape of the attachment 11 is not limited to the illustrated goggletype. The attachment 11 may include a structure of any shape that movesfollowing the movement of the head of the player who wears the HMD andthat can place the display 24 in front of the wearer's eye(s) when worn.For example, the attachment 11 may have an eyeglasses-like shape, ahat-like shape, or a helmet-like shape. In order to enhance player'ssense of immersion, the HMD 10 may be configured such that the display24 covers both eyes of the player when the attachment 11 is attached tothe head of the player.

When the HMD is used, the HMD 10 is mounted on the head of the player 5via the attachment 11, as shown in FIG. 3. The information processingdevice 20 is mounted on the attachment 11 attached to the head of theplayer 5.

The information processing device 20 will be further described withreferring again to FIG. 1. As illustrated, in one embodiment, theinformation processing device 20 includes a computer processor 21, amemory unit 22, a communication I/F 23, a display 24, a sensor unit 25,a sound collector 26, and a storage 27.

The computer processor 21 is a computing device which loads variousprograms realizing an operating system and game logics from the storage27 or other storage into the memory unit 22 and executes instructionsincluded in the loaded programs. The computer processor 21 is, forexample, a CPU, an MPU, a DSP, a GPU, any other computing device, or acombination thereof. The processor 21 may be realized by means of anintegrated circuit such as ASIC, PLD, FPGA, MCU, or the like. Althoughthe computer processor 21 is illustrated as a single component in FIG.1, the computer processor 21 may be a collection of a plurality ofphysically separate computer processors. In this specification, aprogram or instructions included in the program that are described asbeing executed by the computer processor 21 may be executed by a singlecomputer processor or distributed and executed by a plurality ofcomputer processors. Further, a program or instructions included in theprogram executed by the computer processor 21 may be executed by aplurality of virtual computer processors.

The memory unit 22 is used to store instructions that may be executed bythe computer processor 21 and other various data. At least a part of thegame processing program in the embodiment is loaded into the memory unit22 at appropriate timings in accordance with the progress of the game.The memory unit 22 is, for example, a main storage device (main memory)that the computer processor 21 is able to access at high speed. Thememory unit 22 may be, for example, a RAM such as a DRAM or an SRAM.

The communication I/F 23 may be implemented as hardware, firmware, orcommunication software such as a TCP/IP driver or a PPP driver, or acombination thereof. The information processing device 20 is able totransmit and receive data to and from other devices via thecommunication I/F 23.

The display 24 includes a display panel 24 a and a touch-screen panel 24b. For example, the touch-screen panel 24 b is laminated on an uppersurface or lower surface of the display panel 24 a. The display panel 24a is a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, an inorganic EL panel,or any other display panel capable of displaying an image. Thetouch-screen panel 24 b is configured to detect touch interactions(touch operations) performed by the player. The touch-screen panel 24 bcan detect various touch operations such as tapping, double tapping, anddragging performed by the player. The touch-screen panel 24 b mayinclude a capacitive proximity sensor and may be capable of detecting anon-contact operation performed by the player.

The sensor unit 25 includes one or more sensors. The sensor unit 25includes, for example, at least one selected from the group consistingof a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor. Thesensor unit 25 may include an eye tracking sensor that directly detectsplayer's eye movements. The eye tracking sensor is, for example, aneye-gaze tracking sensor that emits a near-infrared light beam into theiris and detects its reflected light. The position and the direction ofthe head of the player 5 wearing the HMD 10 are specified based ondetection information obtained by the sensor unit 25 as described later.At least some of the various sensors included in the sensor unit 25 maybe mounted on the attachment 11 and/or a member other than theattachment 11 different from the information processing device 20.

The sound collector 26 is capable of collecting sound and voice. Thesound collector 26 is, for example, a microphone. Sound and voice of theplayer 5 is detected based on audio information collected by the soundcollector 26.

The storage 27 is an external storage device accessed by the computerprocessor 21. The storage 27 is, for example, a magnetic disk, anoptical disk, a semiconductor memory, or various other storage devicecapable of storing data. Various programs such as a game processingprogram and the like are stored in the storage 27. The storage 27 mayalso store various data used in a game(s). At least some of the programsand various data that can be stored in the storage 27 may be stored in astorage that is physically separated from the information processingdevice 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the storage 27 stores image data 28 a,chat data 28 b, scenario data 28 c, parameter data 28 d, suspensioncondition data 28 e, game progress data 28 f, and various other datanecessary for progress of the game.

The image data 28 a includes data for drawing a background in a virtualspace where a game is executed, data for drawing a virtual character,and data for drawing an object other than the virtual character used inthe game. The image data 28 a may include information about the positionof an object in the virtual space.

The chat data 28 b includes data for drawing an icon of a virtualcharacter, data for drawing an icon of the player 5, data for specifyinga plurality of messages from a virtual character, data representingoptions of a response message to the plurality of messages from thevirtual character, and any other data used in the chat. The plurality ofmessages from the virtual character may be defined in a tree structurethat includes nodes corresponding to each message and in which the nodesare interconnected by arcs. In the tree structure, for example, morethan one arc extends from a start message which is the root nodeexisting at the top, and each arc is connected to a node situated at alower level. Another arc also extends from the lower node, and the arcis connected to a not at a further lower level. The nodes at the lowerlevels each correspond to a possible message from a virtual characterthat may be displayed after the start message. The chat data 28 b mayinclude a mode switch condition that is a condition for starting a modeswitch from the chat mode to the VR mode. The mode switch condition mayinclude, for example, that the elapsed time since the game was startedin the chat mode is equal to or longer than a predetermined length oftime, that a chat has progressed to a terminal node in a message havingthe tree structure, and any other conditions. The chat data 28 b mayinclude data indicating a message that is to be displayed when the chatmode is resumed after selection of a switch object is not completed.

The scenario data 28 c includes data defining a scenario experienced bythe player 5 in the second mode (eg., the VR mode) of the game. Whenthere are two or more scenarios experienced by the player 5 in the game,the scenario data 28 c may define scenario data for each of thescenarios.

With reference to FIG. 4, scenario data used in the game processingsystem according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 4schematically shows the scenario data 28 c used in the game processingsystem 1. The scenario data 28 c is a data set for defining a scenarioto be executed in the VR mode. In the illustrated embodiment, thescenario data 28 c includes first scenario data 28 c 1 to fifth scenariodata 28 c 5 corresponding to a first scenario to a fifth scenario,respectively. There may be six or more scenarios or may be four or lessscenarios in the VR mode. Data structure of the first scenario data 28 c1 corresponding to the first scenario will be now described. Thedescription on the first scenario data 28 c 1 below also applies to thesecond scenario data 28 c 2 to the fifth scenario data 28 c 5.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first scenario data 28 c 1 includesopening scene data A1, basic scene data B1 to B3, additional scene dataC1 to C3, and ending scene data D1 to D2. In one embodiment, the openingscene data A1, the basic scene data B1 to B3, the additional scene dataC1 to C3, and the ending scene data D1 to D2 may each include dataconcerning actions of a virtual character in a corresponding scene, dataconcerning moving images used in the scene, data concerning actions thatthe player can perform toward the virtual character in the scene, andany other data necessary for executing the scene.

In the illustrated embodiment, the opening scene data A1 includes dataconcerning an action of the virtual character in an opening sceneexecuted after the first scenario has started, data concerning a movingimage used in the opening scene, data concerning actions that the playercan perform toward the virtual character in the opening scene, and anyother data necessary for executing the opening scene.

The basic scene data B1 to B3 include data concerning actions of thevirtual character in a basic scene executed after the opening scene,data concerning a moving image used in the basic scene, data concerningactions that the player can perform toward the virtual character in theopening scene, and any other data necessary for executing the basicscene. The basic scene data B1 to B3 may each include informationindicating conditions for switching to an additional scene to determinewhether switching to the additional scene is possible or not. Thecondition for switching to the additional scene may be determined foreach basic scene. The condition for switching to the addition scene is,for example, that the player gazes at a predetermined object for apredetermined period of time or longer, the player does not look fixedlyat a predetermined direction, and the player does a prescribed action.Other than the above-mentioned ones, the conditions for switching to theaddition scene can be appropriately determined depending on the story ofa scenario, a type of an object appearing in the virtual space, andother factors.

The additional scene data C1 to C3 include data concerning actions ofthe virtual character in an additional scene, data concerning a movingimage used in the additional scene, data concerning actions that theplayer can perform toward the virtual character in the opening scene,and any other data necessary for executing the additional scene. It isdetermined whether the condition for switching to the additional sceneis satisfied during or after the basic scene is executed, and then theadditional scene is executed in accordance with the determinationresult.

The ending scene data D1 to D2 may include data necessary for executingan ending scene before the second mode is terminated. The ending scenedata D1 to D2 include data concerning actions of the virtual characterin the ending scene, data concerning a moving image used in the endingscene, data concerning actions that the player can perform toward thevirtual character in the opening scene, and any other data necessary forexecuting the ending scene.

The parameter data 28 d includes a game parameter relating to a gamerealized in the game processing system 1. The game parameter may be aparameter relating to a player character. The parameter relating to theplayer character may include a parameter representing a virtualcharacter's favorability rating for a user character. Here, the virtualcharacter is a non-player character. The game parameter may be updatedas the game progresses. The parameter relating to the player characteris not limited to the parameter representing the virtual character'sfavorability rating for the user character. The parameter relating tothe player character is appropriately determined according to a type,the nature, the worldview of the game, or other elements.

The suspension condition data 28 e is data defining an suspensioncondition which is a condition for suspending the game being executed inthe VR mode or suspending an action being executed in the game. Thesuspension condition includes, for example, that a prohibited area setin the virtual space has been watched by the player, that the player 5repeats the same action toward a virtual character for a predeterminednumber of times or more, the player 5 performs an action toward apredetermined body part of the virtual character at a predeterminednumber of times or more, the player performs a banned action, a givenparameter included in the parameter data 28 d is equal to or greaterthan a predetermined threshold value, and any other conditions definedfor suspending the execution of the game in the VR mode. The suspensioncondition data 28 e may include data concerning the coordinatesindicating the prohibited area and data specifying the banned actions.Points may be added each time the player 5 does the same action, and thesuspension condition may be that the accumulated points reach to or morethan predetermined points. Moreover, some points may be initially givento the player 5, and predetermined points may be subtracted from theinitially given points to calculate the points that the player 5currently holds each time the player 5 do the same action. In this case,the suspension condition may be that the points that the player 5 holdsreduces to or less than a predetermined value. The accumulated pointsand the points that the player 5 holds may be reset during the game.

The game progress data 28 f includes data used for managing the progressof the game. The game progress data 28 f may be updated as the gameprogresses. The game progress data 28 f may include, for example, dataconcerning points acquired by the player in the game, data indicating anaction performed by the player 5 toward the virtual character, and anyother various types of data that may vary depending on the progress ofthe game. The data indicating the action performed by the player 5toward the virtual character may include data indicating a body part(for example, a head, a shoulder, an arm, or a part other than these) ofthe virtual character onto which the action is performed.

The components and functions of the information processing device 20shown in FIG. 1 are examples. The information processing device 20applicable to the invention may include various constituent elementsthat are not shown. For example, the information processing device 20may be provided with a speaker for outputting effect sound of the gameand sound and voice of the virtual character.

Next, functions of the HMD 10 will be described. In the illustratedembodiment, various functions of the HMD 10 are realized by executingcomputer readable instructions using the computer processor 21 of theinformation processing device 20. The instructions executed using thecomputer processor 21 include instructions included in the gameprocessing program according to an embodiment.

By executing the game processing program according to the embodimentusing the computer processor 21, the game having the first mode and thesecond mode different from the first mode is realized in the gameprocessing system 1. The game realized in the game processing system 1may further have a mode other than the first mode and the second mode.

In the first mode of the game realized in the game processing system 1,processing relating to the game is performed based on first detectioninformation obtained by the information processing device 20 when theHMD 10 is not mounted on the player 5, that is, when the informationprocessing device 20 is detached from the attachment 11. The firstdetection information includes information concerning a touch operationof the player 5 detected via the touch-screen panel 24 b of theinformation processing device 20, information concerning voice of theplayer detected by the sound collector 26, and any other detectioninformation that can be detected in the information processing device 20when the HMD 10 is not attached to the player 5. In the first mode, theplayer 5 is able to perform operations relating to the game using theinformation processing device 20 that is removed from the attachment 11.Since the first mode is designed to play the game when the HMD 10 is notmounted on the player 5, it is possible to display a non-stereoscopicimage on the display 24.

In the second mode of the game realized in the game processing system 1,the game is played and progresses using second detection informationobtained by the HMD 10 attached to the head of the player 5. The seconddetection information is, for example, detection information obtained bythe sensor unit 25. Based on the second detection information, headtracking information for determining the orientation of the head of theplayer 5 is calculated. The head tracking information may be informationindicating the position of the head of the player 5 in addition to theorientation of the head of the player 5. A process for advancing thegame in the second mode may be performed based on, for example, the headtracking information calculated based on the second detectioninformation. The process for advancing the game in the second mode maybe performed using any other information in addition to the headtracking information. In preparation for playing the game in the secondmode, the player 5 attaches the information processing device 20 to theattachment 11, and places the attachment 11 with the informationprocessing device 20 on his/her head. As described above, the secondmode is designed such that the game is played while the HMD 10 is wornby the player 5, so in one embodiment, a stereoscopic image that isstereoscopically viewed by the player 5 is displayed on the display 24in the second mode. The stereoscopic image is displayed on the display24 by, for example, a parallax barrier method. In the parallax barriermethod, a left eye image and a right eye image are displayed on thedisplay 24. The stereoscopic image is a set of images including the lefteye image and the right eye image configured to be stereoscopicallyviewed when displayed on the display utilizing the parallax of the leftand right eyes.

The first mode is, for example, a chat mode. The chat mode is an exampleof the first mode. The chat mode provides a function that allows theplayer to chat with a virtual character via a text message. In the firstmode, the player can experience interaction with a virtual character bychatting with the virtual character. Processes performed in the chatmode will be described later in detail. Here, the interaction means, ina broad sense, that the virtual character reacts to an action performedby the player. The interaction with the virtual character includes aninteraction performed as communication with the virtual character suchas conversation with the virtual character. In this specification, aninteraction performed as communication with a virtual character may alsoreferred to as a communicative interaction. In addition to thecommunicative interaction, the interaction with a virtual character mayinclude a battle against the virtual character, a cooperative play toplay the game in cooperation with the virtual character, and interactionwith other virtual characters. In this specification, an interactionperformed as a battle against a virtual character may be referred to asa battle interaction. In the specification, an interaction performed asa cooperative play with a virtual character may be referred to as acooperative interaction.

The second mode is, for example, the VR mode. The VR mode provides afunction that allows the player to perform various interactions with avirtual character, which is a non-player character appearing in thevirtual space displayed on the display of the information processing 20.Processes performed in the VR mode will be described later in detail.The VR mode is an example of the second mode, and the second mode mayinclude any game mode in which a process for advancing the game usingthe head tracking information is performed.

In one embodiment, a game having the first mode and the second mode thatis realized by the game processing system 1, may be a game in which aplayer performs interactions with a virtual character other than thecommunicative interaction. In the game realized by the game processingsystem 1, the communicative interaction may not be performed. The gameaccording to one embodiment is played in a two-dimensional space in thefirst mode and played in a three-dimensional space in the second mode.The game according to one embodiment is played in a three-dimensionalspace in the first mode. Whereas in the second mode, the game is playedin a three-dimensional space displayed in a display mode different fromthe three-dimensional space of the first mode (or in a three-dimensionalspace configured in a manner different from the three-dimensional spaceof the first mode). In one embodiment, the game realized by the gameprocessing system 1 may use a game content(s) common to the first modeand the second mode. A parameter associated with the game content may becarried over to/from the first mode from/to the second mode. Forexample, when a value of the parameter of the specific game content ischanged during playing the game in the first mode and thereafter thegame shifts to the second mode, the specific game content with thechanged parameter is used in the second mode. In one embodiment, a valueof a parameter of a specific game content may be changed when the gameis switched from the first mode to the second mode and/or when the gameis switched from the second mode to the first mode. The parameter changeof the game content may be a change that is advantageous for the player5 to progress in the game or may be a change that is disadvantageous forthe player 5. In one embodiment, a game play result in the first modemay be reflected in the game played in the second mode, and a playresult in the second mode may be reflected in the game played in thefirst mode. For example, experience points of the player 5 acquired inthe first mode may be carried over to the second mode.

As described above, the first mode and the second mode of the gamerealized in the game processing system 1 are distinguished from eachother. That is, the first mode is different from the second mode. In oneembodiment, when the game implemented in the game processing system 1 isplayed in the first mode, the HMD 10 is not attached to the head of theplayer 5. Whereas when the game is played in the second mode, the HMD 10is attached to the head of the head of the player 5. In this case, inthe first mode, the game is processed based on the first detectioninformation obtained by the information processing device 20 that is notattached to the head of the player 5. Whereas in the second mode, thegame is processed based on the second detection information obtained bythe HMD 10 that is attached to the head of the player 5.

In one embodiment, a stereoscopic image is displayed on the display 24in the second mode, whereas in the first mode, a non-stereoscopic imageis displayed on the display 24 as described above. At least an image ofa virtual character among the images used in the game is displayed as astereoscopic image in the second mode. Whereas in the first mode, theimage of the virtual character is displayed as the non-stereoscopicimage.

In one embodiment, a process of advancing the game is performed withoutusing the head tracking information calculated based on the seconddetection information in the first mode. Whereas in the second mode, aprocess of advancing the game is performed based on the head trackinginformation.

In one embodiment, the process of advancing the game is performed inaccordance with a touch operation detected via the touch-screen panel 24b in the first mode. Whereas in the second mode, the process is notperformed in accordance with the touch operation on the touch-screenpanel 24 b.

In one embodiment, in the case where an interaction with a virtualcharacter is provided in a game implemented in the game processingsystem 1, the interaction with the virtual character is provided basedon the first detection information obtained by the informationprocessing device 20 that is not attached to the head of the player 5 inthe first mode. In the second mode, the interaction with the virtualcharacter is provided based on the second detection information obtainedby the HMD 10 attached to the head of the player 5.

After the game is started, it is possible to switch between the firstmode and the second mode which are distinguished as described above.With reference to FIG. 5, the outline of the mode switch of the gameprocessed by the game processing system 1 will be described. As shown inFIG. 5, when the game is started in step S1, the chat mode, which is thefirst mode, is started in step S2. In this chat mode, when a switchingprocess for switching to the VR mode which is the second mode isinitiated, the process shifts to step S3 and the switching process tothe second mode is carried out. When the switching process is completed,the VR mode, which is the second mode, is started in step S4. When theVR mode is terminated or interrupted, a return process to the chat modeis performed.

Functions realized by the computer processor 21 will be now describedmore specifically. The computer processor 21 functions as a chat modeexecution unit 21 a, a switch processing unit 21 b, a VR mode executionunit 21 c, and a parameter management unit 21 d by executing computerreadable instructions included in the game processing program. At leastsome of the functions that can be realized by the computer processor 21may be realized by a computer processor other than the computerprocessor 21 of the game system 1. For example, at least some of thefunctions realized by the computer processor 21 may be realized by acomputer processor mounted on the server 50.

The chat mode execution unit 21 a performs processing for providing thegame in the chat mode as the first mode by executing a game processingprogram according to an embodiment. The chat mode executing unit 21 aimplements a function that allows the player 5 (or a character of theplayer 5) to chat with a virtual character that is the non-playercharacter. After the player 5 logs in to the chat mode, the chat modeexecution unit 21 a displays a message from the virtual character and amessage input or selected by the player 5 on the display 24, and enablesthe player 5 to chat with the virtual character. The chat mode executionunit 21 a may display, following the message from the virtual character,several response alternatives for the player 5 to respond to the messageon the display 24. One alternative is selected from the responsealternatives according to an operation of the player 5 and a messagecorresponding to the selected response is displayed on the display 24 asa message from the player 5. The player 5 can select a desired one ofthe displayed response alternatives by touching the touch-screen panel24 b. The message from the virtual character and the responsealternatives for the player to respond to the message can be specifiedby referring to the chat data 28 b in accordance with the gameprocessing program. The message from the virtual character may bedisplayed together with an image of the virtual character, and themessage from the player 5 may be displayed together with an image of theplayer 5. The message from the virtual character may includes a messagefor prompting the player to switch to the VR mode which is the secondmode, a message for allowing the player 5 to select an option(s) forsetting of the VR mode, and any other message associated with the VRmode.

In the chat mode, a switch start object for starting switching to the VRmode as the second mode is displayed in accordance with the progress ofthe chat. Display of the switch start object is performed in accordancewith the game processing program when the mode switch condition issatisfied. The chat mode execution unit 21 a is capable of detectingthat the switch start object is selected based on a detection signalfrom the touch-screen panel 24 b or any other user interface. When it isdetected that the switch start object has been selected, the process forswitching to the VR mode, which is the second mode, is started.

The switch processing unit 21 b performs the process for switching fromthe first mode to the second mode. The switch process includesdisplaying guidance on the display 24 to prompt a player to attach theinformation processing device 20 to the attachment 11, and displayingthe switch object on the display 24 such that it is selectable by theplayer's gazing. After displaying the switch object, the switchprocessing unit 21 b receives a detection signal from the sensor unit 25or another sensor and determines whether the switch object has beenselected by gazing based on the detection signal. For the determination,the switch processing unit 21 b calculates the position and orientationof the HMD 10 based on the detection signal from the sensor unit 25, andspecifies the position (point) at which the player 5 gazes based on thecalculated position and orientation of the HMD 10. The gazing point canbe specified by various known methods. For example, the gazing point maybe specified based on the detection signal of the eye tracking sensor.For example, the switch processing unit 21 b measures the duration oftime (gazing duration) during which the gazing point is on the switchstart object, and when the gazing duration reaches a predeterminedlength, the switch processing unit 21 b determines that the selection ofthe switch start object has been completed. After the switch processingunit 21 b determines that the selection of the switch object has beencompleted, it starts the VR mode which is the second mode.

The VR mode execution unit 21 c displays an image of the virtualcharacter in the virtual space in accordance with the game processingprogram and realizes interactions between the virtual character and theplayer 5. The VR mode execution unit 21 c serves as a scene selectionunit 21 c 1, a detection unit 21 c 2, an action determination unit 21 c3, an image generation unit 21 c 4, and a suspension determination unit21 c 5 when the game processing program according to one embodiment isexecuted by the processor 21.

The scene selection unit 21 c 1 selects a game scene to be executedbased on the scenario data 28 c and other information as required. Afterlogging in to the VR mode, the scene selection unit 21 c 1 selects theopening scene. After the opening scene is executed, the scene selectionunit 21 c 1 selects a next scene to be executed based on the detectioninformation provided by the HMD 10, information stored in the storage 27(for example, the parameter data 28 d), and, any other information asnecessary.

The detection unit 21 c 2 calculates the head tracking information fordetermining at least one of the orientation or the position of the HMD10 based on the detection signal from the sensor unit 25 of the HMD 10.The head tracking information is information indicating at least one ofthe orientation or the position of the HMD 10. The head trackinginformation is determined based on the detection information from thesensor unit 25. More specifically, the head tracking information isobtained such that the position and orientation of the HMD 10 mounted onthe head are calculated as the position in the three-dimensionalorthogonal coordinate system and the angle around each axis. Thethree-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is, for example, anorthogonal coordinate system composed of a roll axis along thefront-rear direction, a yaw axis along the vertical direction, and apitch axis along the left-right direction. The detection unit 21 c 2generates a virtual space depending on at least one of the determinedposition or orientation of the HMD 10 and outputs image information fordepicting the virtual space to the display 24. For example, thedetection unit 21 c 2 can calculate the gazing direction or the gazingpoint based on at least one of the position or the orientation of theHMD 10.

The action determination unit 21 c 3 determines an action of the player5 using the HMD 10 based on the head tracking information. Moreover, theaction determination unit 21 c 3 may specify an action (reaction) of thevirtual character in the virtual space according to the determinedaction of the player 5. The actions of the player 5 wearing the HMD 10include nodding, shaking his/her head, any other motions of the head,and eye movements. The action of the player 5 that causes the virtualcharacter to make a reaction may include the player's eye movement. Sucheye movement can be detected by the eye tracking sensor included in thesensor unit 25.

The image generation unit 21 c 4 generates image information for adepicting area in the virtual space. The depicting area is determined byan angle of view or the like around the gazing point or gazing directiondetermined by the detection unit 21 c 2. Based on the image informationgenerated in this way, the image for the depicting area of the virtualspace is displayed on the display 24. For the generation of the imageinformation, for example, the image data 28 a, the scenario data 28 c,the parameter data 28 d, the game progress data 28 f, and other datastored in the storage 27 may be used. When a virtual character appearsin the depicting area, the image generation unit 21 c 4 generates imageinformation of the virtual space including the virtual characterperforming the action specified by the action determination unit 21 c 3,and the image generated in this manner is rendered on the display 24 asa stereoscopic image. In this way, an image of the virtual spaceincluding the image of the virtual character performing the actionspecified in response to the action of the player 5 is displayed on thedisplay 24. The image generation unit 21 c 4 may generate audioinformation corresponding to the action of the virtual character and thedepicting area of the virtual space. The audio information is output tothe speaker of the HMD 10.

Based on the suspension condition data 28 e, the suspensiondetermination unit 21 c 5 determines whether the suspension condition issatisfied. For example, in a case where the suspension condition is thatthe prohibited area set in the virtual space is gazed, the suspensiondetermination unit 21 c 5 determines the gazing point of the player 5 inthe virtual space based on the detection information obtained by the HMD10 and determines whether this gazing point is within the prohibitedarea. When the gazing point of the player 5 is within the prohibitedarea, it is determined that the suspension condition is satisfied.

In a case where the suspension condition is that the player 5 performsthe same action three or more times toward the virtual character, thesuspension determination unit 21 c 5 refers to the game progress data 28f to retrieve the previous two actions that the player 5 performedtoward the virtual character, and determines whether the previous twoactions are the same or different. When the previous two actions are thesame, the suspension determination unit 21 c 5 determines whether thelast action determined in the action determination unit 21 c 3 is sameas the previous two actions. If the last action is the same as theprevious two actions, it is determined that the suspension condition isestablished.

In a case where the suspension condition is that the player 5 performsan action on the head of the virtual character three times or more, thesuspension determination unit 21 c 5 refers to the game progress data 28f to determine whether the number of the actions performed on the headof the virtual character has reached three times with the last action.When the last action on the head of the virtual character is counted asthe third time, it is determined that the suspension condition issatisfied.

In a case where the suspension condition is that the banned action hasbeen performed by the player, the suspension determination unit 21 c 5determines whether the last action falls under the banned action. Thebanned action may include the player's moving his/her head with anacceleration equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value.In a case where the banned action is moving the head with anacceleration equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thesuspension determination unit 21 c 5 determines whether the accelerationdetected by the sensor unit 25 is equal to or more than the upper limitvalue. When the detected acceleration is equal to or more than the upperlimit value, it is determined that the suspension condition issatisfied. Whereas when the acceleration is less than the upper limitvalue, it is determined that the suspension condition is not satisfied.

In a case where the suspension condition is that a parameter included inthe parameter data 28 d is equal to or larger than a predeterminedthreshold value or smaller than a predetermined threshold value, thesuspension determination unit 21 c 5 refers to the parameter data 28 dand determines whether the suspension condition is satisfied. In a casewhere the parameter is a parameter representing the favorability of thevirtual character with respect to the user character and the suspensioncondition is that the parameter indicating the favorability is equal toor less than a predetermined threshold value, the suspensiondetermination unit 21 c 5 retrieves the parameter indicating thefavorability from the storage 27 and determines whether the parameterindicating the favorability is equal to or less than the predeterminedthreshold value. When the parameter indicating the favorability is equalto or less than the predetermined threshold value, it is determined thatthe suspension condition is satisfied, whereas when it is larger thanthe predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the suspensioncondition is not satisfied.

The suspension determination unit 21 c 5 is able to determine whetherthe suspension condition is satisfied at any point in time while thegame is being executed. In one embodiment, the suspension determinationunit 21 c 5 may determine whether the suspension condition is satisfiedwhen the player 5 performs an action toward the virtual character.

As described above, a motion image in which a virtual character moves inthe virtual space is displayed on the display 24 by the VR modeexecution unit 21 c, and voice and sound corresponding to the movementof the virtual character is output from the speaker. For example, whenthe virtual character speaks to the player 5, a motion image in whichthe head and mouth of the virtual character move is displayed on thedisplay 24, and voice corresponding to words which the virtual characterspeaks is output from the speaker. In one embodiment, the virtualcharacter interacting with the player 5 in each of the VR mode and thechat mode are the same virtual character. For example, a virtualcharacter appearing in the VR mode has the same name as a virtualcharacter appearing in the chat mode, and they have common appearancesuch that it can be recognized as the same character. It should be notedthat the image of the virtual character is displayed as a stereoscopicimage in the VR mode whereas the image of the virtual character isdisplayed as a non-stereoscopic image in the chat mode, so that theimages of the virtual character are different between the VR mode andthe chat mode. However, such difference in representation format doesnot affect the identity of virtual characters.

The parameter management unit 21 d updates the parameter data 28 d asthe game is progressed. When the game is provided in the first mode, theparameter management unit 21 d updates the parameter data 28 d accordingto the progress of the game in the first mode, and when the game isprovided in the second mode, the parameter management unit 21 d updatesthe parameter data 28 d according to the progress of the game in thesecond mode.

In a case where the parameter data 28 d includes a parameter indicatingthe favorability which the virtual character has with respect to theuser character, the parameter management unit 21 d may increase ordecrease the value of the parameter depending on an action of the player5 in the first mode and the second mode. When the first mode is the chatmode, the amount (for example, increase amount or decrease amount) orrate (increase rate or decrease rate) of change of favorability for eachoption of the message presented to the player 5 in the chat mode may bedefined. In this case, the parameter management unit 21 d specifies thechange amount or change rate of the favorability depending on themessage option selected by the player 5, and updates the parameter data28 d based on the specified change amount or change rate of thefavorability. In the VR mode, the amount of change or the change rate ofthe favorability may be determined for each type of action that theplayer 5 makes. The parameter management unit 21 d specifies the changeamount or change rate of the favorability depending on the action of theplayer 5 and updates the parameter data 28 d based on the specifiedchange amount or change rate of the favorability.

When the second mode is the VR mode, a banned action may be defined forthe actions that the player 5 performs in the VR mode. The bannedactions may include player's moving his/her head with an accelerationequal to or greater than a predetermined value, glancing at theprohibited area in the virtual space, and repeating the same action formore than a predetermined number of times. In this specification, amongactions that the player 5 does, actions other than the banned actionsmay also be referred to as normal actions. When the banned action isperformed by the player 5, the parameter managing unit 21 d updates theparameter data 28 d so as to decrease the favorability. Whereas when thenormal action is made by the player 5, the parameter management unit 21d updates the parameter data 28 d so as to increases or decreases thefavorability depending on the normal action.

When the game is being processed in the VR mode, the VR mode may beincidentally terminated abnormally without going through the endingscene prepared in the VR mode. For example, when the power supply to theHMD 10 is lost or when a function of the system program force-quits thegame processing program, the VR mode may be terminated abnormally. Whenthe VR mode is abnormally terminated, the parameter management unit 21 dupdates the parameter data 28 d so as to decrease the favorability.

When a termination condition is satisfied, the VR mode execution unit 21c performs a termination process to terminate the VR mode. Thetermination condition may include, for example, that a predeterminedduration of time (for example, one minute) has elapsed from the start ofthe VR mode, that an operation that is subjected to cause thetermination has been detected, that the last event included in thescenario being executed in the VR mode has ended, and any otherconditions. The termination process performed when the terminationcondition is satisfied may include, displaying, on the display 24,guidance for prompting the player to remove the information processingdevice 20 from the attachment 11, and displaying a login screen to login to the chat mode which is the first mode.

Next, with reference to FIG. 6 and FIGS. 7a to 7d , a chat process inthe chat mode will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flowof the process in the chat mode in one embodiment, and FIGS. 7a to 7dshow examples of a display image in the chat mode. It is assumed thatthe HMD 10 is not mounted on the head of the player 5 and theinformation processing device 20 is detached from the attachment 11 atthe start of the chat mode.

As described above, in the game processing system 1, the game is startedin the chat mode. In step S11, a login screen for logging in to the chatmode is displayed on the display 24 of the information processing device20. When the login process is performed by the player 5, the chatprocess proceeds to step S12.

In step S12, chatting is performed between the player 5 and the virtualcharacter such that they exchange messages. More specifically, afterlogging into the chat mode, a chat display image for displaying a chatperformed between the player 5 and the virtual character is generated,and the chat display image is displayed on the display 24. FIG. 7a showsa chat display image 70 which is an example of the chat display imagedisplayed on the display 24. The chat display image 70 has a chatdisplay area 71 including an icon 73 corresponding to the player 5, anicon 74 corresponding to the virtual character, a message 75 a from theplayer 5, and messages 76 a and 76 b from the virtual character. Inaddition, the chat display image 70 has a menu area 72 arranged at thetop of the chat display area 71. The virtual character's messages 76 aand 76 b are specified based on the chat data 28 b and other data storedin the storage 72 in accordance with the game processing program. Forexample, messages of the virtual character are displayed sequentiallyfrom the message in the root node with reference to the chat data 28 bdefined in the form of the tree structure. At the branch point of thenode, a node is selected depending on a branch condition and a messagecorresponding to the selected node is displayed.

In step S12, a parameter set for the player 5 may be increased ordecreased depending the option selected by the player 5. As describedabove, the increase/decrease amount or change rate of the parameter isdetermined based on the change amount (for example, increase amount ordecrease amount) or the change rate (increase rate or decrease rate) ofthe parameter determined for each option of the message. When the changeamount or the change rate of the parameter is specified, the parameterdata 28 d is updated based on the specified change amount or change rateof the favorability.

The chat display image 70 in FIG. 7a includes a display showing options77 of the message for the player 5 to select at the lower part of thechat display area 71. The player 5 is able to select one from among thedisplayed options 77. The selection is performed, for example, bytouching an area where the option desired to be selected is displayed onthe display 24 with a finger. Once the selection is made, a message 75 bcorresponding to the selected option is newly displayed in the chatdisplay area 71 as a message from the player 5, as shown in FIG. 7 b.

In the course of the chat process, messages 76 c and 76 d for promptingthe player to select settings in the second mode VR mode may bedisplayed as messages from the virtual character as shown in FIG. 7c .The message 76 c is a message for prompting selection of a scenario inthe VR mode, and the message 76 d is a message for prompting selectionof an item used by the virtual character in the VR mode (for example,clothes worn by the virtual character in the virtual space in the VRmode). In other words, the settings in the second mode include thescenario in the VR mode and the item used by the virtual character inthe VR mode. After the message 76 c prompting the selection of thescenario is displayed, choices of the scenario are displayed on thedisplay 24. For example, first to fifth scenarios are displayed as thechoices. The player 5 is able to select one scenario that he/she likesfrom among these choices. After the message 76 d prompting selection ofthe item is displayed, choices of the item are displayed on the display24. The player 5 can select one item that he/she likes from among thechoices. In the course of the chat process, a message for prompting theplayer to switch to the second mode may be displayed as a message fromthe virtual character.

In step S13, it is determined whether the mode switch condition from thefirst mode to the second mode is satisfied or not. As the mode switchcondition from the first mode to the second mode, for example, used is acondition that a predetermined duration of time (for example, oneminute) has elapsed from the start of the chat mode. The elapsed timefrom the start of chat mode is measured using, for example, a systemclock. The process returns to step S12 and the chat process is repeateduntil it is determined that the mode switch condition is satisfied. Whenit is determined that the mode switch condition is satisfied, the chatprocess proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, the switch start object 78 is displayed on the display 24,and the chat process proceeds to step S15. As shown in FIG. 7d , theswitch start object 78 is displayed as, for example, an object having acircular profile in the chat display area 71. When it is confirmed thatthe switch start object 78 is selected in step S15, the chat processproceeds to step S16. Whereas when the selection of the switch startobject 78 is not confirmed even after a predetermined duration of time(for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed since the switch start object 78is displayed, it is determined that the switch start object has not beenselected and the chat process is terminated. Alternatively, the processmay return to step S12 and a process for resuming chatting may beperformed when it is determined that the switch start object has notbeen selected. Whether the switch start object 78 is selected or not maybe determined based on an operation performed on the touch-screen panel24 b. For example, when an operation (for example, a tap operation) totouch the touch-screen panel 24 b at a position overlapping the displayarea of the switch start object 78 is detected via a detection signal ofthe touch-screen panel 24 b, it is determined that the switch startobject 78 is selected. Alternatively, the selection of the switch startobject 78 may be made by a non-contact operation.

In step S16, a switch process to shift to the VR mode, which is thesecond mode, is initiated. Once the switch process is started, the chatprocess is terminated.

The above chat process is executed by, for example, the chat modeexecution unit 21 a. The chat mode execution unit 21 a is capable ofexecuting the above-described chat process alone or in cooperation withother functions as appropriate. In executing the chat process, inaddition to the data stored in the storage 27, data stored in anotherstorage, detection information obtained by various sensors, or dataother than these may be used as required.

The mode switch process from the chat mode as the first mode to the VRmode as the second mode will be now described with reference to FIG. 8and FIGS. 9a and 9b . FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the mode switch processaccording to an embodiment.

When the switch process is started, a guidance that prompts the playerto wear the HMD 10 is displayed on the display 24 of the informationprocessing device 20 in step S31. A guidance display image 80 which isan example of the guidance display image including the guidance is shownin FIG. 9a . The guidance display image 80 includes a guidance promptingthe player to attach the information processing device 20 to theattachment 11, a guidance prompting the player to wear the HMD 10 on thehead, and any other various guidance necessary for starting the VR mode.The guidance display image 80 shown in FIG. 9a includes a guidance 81prompting the player to attach the information processing device 20 tothe attachment 11. This guidance may include instructions for attachingthe information processing device 20 to the attachment 11. When apredetermined time has elapsed after displaying the guidance, the modeswitch process proceeds to step S32.

In step S32, the switch object is displayed on the display 24. Anexample of the switch process image including the switch object is shownin FIG. 9b . In the switch process image 85 shown in FIG. 9b , a switchobject 86 is included. The switch process image 85 may be displayed as astereoscopic image. In one embodiment, the image displayed on thedisplay 24 is switched from a non-stereoscopic image to a stereoscopicimage at the start of the mode switch process or at a predeterminedtiming after the start of the mode switch process. For example, theimage displayed in the chat mode is displayed as a non-stereoscopicimage, and the image displayed after the switch process has started isdisplayed as a stereoscopic image.

Next, in step S33, it is determined whether selection of the switchobject 86 is completed. The switch object 86 is selected, for example,by the player 5 by gazing at the object for a predetermined duration oftime. Therefore, in order to select the switch object 86 in this state,the player 5 is required to wear the HMD 10. In one embodiment, whetherthe selection of the switch object 86 is completed is determined basedon whether the gazing point calculated based on the detection signalfrom the HMD 10 is situated on the switch object 86 for a predeterminedamount of time or more. The gazing point may be calculated based oninformation detected by the sensor unit 25 provided in the HMD 10 asdescribed above. The above determination can be made by measuring aduration of time in which the gazing point stays on the switch object 86using the system clock and determining whether the measured gazing timehas reached the predetermined amount of time. For example, when thegazing time reaches the predetermined amount of time, it is determinedthat selection of the switch object 86 is completed, and the mode switchprocess proceeds to step S34. Whereas when completion of the selectionof the switch object 86 is not detected even after a predeterminedamount of time has elapsed since the switch object 86 is displayed, itis determined that the selection of the switch object 86 has not beencompleted the mode switch process proceeds to step S35.

In step S34, the VR mode, which is the second mode, is initiated.Processes performed in the VR mode will be described later in detail.

Since the switch to the VR mode has not been selected, a process forreturning to the chat mode is initiated in step S35. When the returningprocess to the chat mode is completed, the chat mode is resumed. In theresumed chat mode, a message from the virtual character made based onthe fact that the switch to the VR mode was not performed may bedisplayed.

The mode switch process described above is executed, for example, by theswitch processing unit 21 b. The switch processing unit 21 b is capableof executing the mode switch process alone or in cooperation with otherfunctions as needed.

Next, a VR process in the VR mode will be described with reference toFIGS. 10 to 12. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the VRprocess in the VR mode in one embodiment, FIG. 11 shows an example of adisplay image in the VR mode, and FIG. 12 schematically illustrates theflow of actions of the virtual character in a scene being executed inthe VR mode. As described above, in order to select the switch object 86in the mode switch process, the player 5 wears the HMD 10. It is assumedthat the HMD 10 is mounted on the head of the player 5 at the start ofthe VR mode. In the following, the VR process will be described on thepremise that the first scenario is selected. In the VR process, theparameter data 28 d is referred to when necessary. In one embodiment,the value of each parameter included in the parameter data 28 d as ofthe start of the VR process is equal to the value of the correspondingparameter included in the parameter data 28 d as of the end of the chatprocess. That is, the parameter data 28 d updated in the chat process isused without modification in the VR process.

When the VR mode is started, the opening scene is executed in step S41.More specifically, image information of the virtual space correspondingto the opening scene is generated, and an image according to the imageinformation is output to the display 24. In the opening scene, apredetermined action of the virtual character may be performed in thevirtual space.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a VR image of the opening scene displayed onthe display 24. A VR image 90 shown in FIG. 11 includes a virtualcharacter image 91 representing the virtual character, images 92 a to 92c representing objects corresponding to the backgrounds, and images ofvarious objects other than these. The VR image 90 is an imagecorresponding to a predetermined range of the virtual space for thefirst scenario. The range of the virtual space corresponding to the VRimage 90 may be specified as a range determined by an angle of viewaround the gazing point in the virtual space calculated based on theorientation of the HMD 10. The image data 28 a is used to generate theimage information. The VR image 90 and other images displayed in the VRmode are displayed as stereoscopic images.

For example, the virtual character image 91 is able to perform an actionspecified by opening scene data A1 in the virtual space. For example,the action that the virtual character image 91 performs may include,talking to the player 5 (toward the position of the player 5 in thevirtual space), traveling in the virtual space, picking up an objectplaced in the virtual space, and any other various motions in thevirtual space.

A series of actions performed by the virtual character in the openingscene will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 schematicallyillustrates a flow of the actions performed by the virtual character ina scene executed in the VR mode. FIG. 12 illustrates the flow of actionsin the opening scene. As shown in FIG. 12, the virtual character firstperforms an action corresponding to an action A11 in the opening scene.The action A11 corresponds to an action that the virtual character canperform in the opening scene.

The action A11 is defined as an action that may branch. Morespecifically, the action A11 branches to an action A21, an action A22,and an action A23. For example, in the action A11, a first switchcondition for switching to the action A21, a second switch condition forswitching to the action A22, and a third switch condition for switchingto the action A23 are set. When the first switch condition is satisfied,the action of the virtual character is switched to the action A21. Whenthe second switch condition is satisfied, the action of the virtualcharacter is switched to the action A22. When the third switch conditionis satisfied, the action of the virtual character is switched to theaction A23. At least one of the first, second, and third switchconditions may be that the favorability of the virtual character withrespect to the user character is equal to or greater than apredetermined threshold value.

Various conditions may be set as the first switch condition, the secondswitch condition, and the third switch condition. For example, the firstswitch condition, the second switch condition, and the third switchcondition may include that the action prescribed as action A11 hasended, that the player 5 performs a predetermined action (for example,the player 5 gazes at a predetermined part of the virtual character)toward the virtual character, and that the player 5 answers a questionfrom the virtual character. The first switch condition, the secondswitch condition, and the third switch condition are different from eachother. The player 5 can answer the question from the virtual characterby nodding, shaking his/her head, or other head motions. Morespecifically, when a question is made by the virtual character and theplayer makes action by moving his/her head, the movement of the head isdetected by the sensor unit 25 of the HMD 10 and the answer of theplayer 5 is identified based on the detected movement of the head. Forexample, when a nodding motion is detected, it may be determined thatthe player 5 has made a positive answer. Whereas when a motion ofshaking his/her head is detected, it may be determined that the player 5has made a negative answer. Further, when a motion of the head of theplayer 5 is not detected for a predetermined duration of time after thequestion is made by the virtual character, it may be determined that theplayer 5 does not answer the question from the virtual character. Theaction of the player 5 may be determined by a function of the actiondetermination unit 21 c 3.

The action A21 further branches to an action A31 and an action A32. Whena predetermined switch condition is satisfied in the action A21,switching from the action A21 to the action A31 or the action A32 isperformed depending on the established switch condition. Only the actionA33 is associated with the action A22 in the lower layer. That is, theaction A22 is not branched. In this case, when the action A22 ends, theaction A33 is started. No more action is defined below the action A23.The structure of the actions shown in FIG. 12 is an example, and thetypes and the number of actions included in each scene and the structureof the actions may be set appropriately according to a story to berealized in the scene.

The actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31 to A33 may be actions in which thevirtual character talks to the player 5 about a predetermined topic.Actions that the virtual character makes in the actions A11, A21 to A23,and A31 to A33 respectively may be specified based on the opening scenedata A1. The opening scene data A1 includes data defining actions thatthe virtual character performs in the actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31to A33 respectively, and data concerning actions that the player canperform toward the virtual character in the opening scene. For example,in the opening scene data A1, the action A11 includes data defining theaction of the virtual character in the action A11 and data concerningthe actions that the player can perform toward the virtual character inthe action A11. The action A11 is executed based on the data related tothe action A11 in the start scene data A1.

In a case where the opening scene is executed such that the action A11,the action A21, and the action A31 are sequentially performed in thestated order, the virtual character performs an action to makeconversation about a topic in the action A11, the virtual charactersubsequently performs an action to make conversation about another topicin the action A21, and the virtual character performs an action to makeconversation about yet another topic in the action A31. The switch fromone action to another action may be performed seamlessly so that theplayer 5 does not perceive the action switch.

While the actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31 to A33 are executed, theplayer 5 can perform actions toward the virtual character by gazing at apredetermined part of the virtual character or any other method. Inresponse to the action of the player 5 performed toward the virtualcharacter, the virtual character can take a reaction determined based onthe start scene data A1. As described above, the actions A11, A21 toA23, and A31 to A33 are executed depending on the actions of the player5 and based on the start scene data A1.

In parallel with the execution of the actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31to A33, the suspension determination is performed. The suspensioncondition may be satisfied with an action of the player 5 during theexecution of the action A11, A21 to A23, A31 to A33. When it isdetermined that the suspension condition is satisfied during theexecution of any of the actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31 to A33, asuspension process A41 for suspending the currently executed action isperformed. The determination whether the suspension condition issatisfied is performed, for example, by the suspension determinationunit 21 c 5.

The actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31 to A33 each include a main action,an interrupt action, and a return action. In the example shown in FIG.12, the action A21 includes a main action A211, an interrupt actionA212, and a return action A213. Similarly to the action A21, the otheractions may each include the main action, the interrupt action, and thereturn action. The main action, the interrupt action, and the returnaction will be described below by taking the action A21 as an example.

The main action A211 is a series of actions that the virtual characterperforms and based on which the game is progressed. For example, whenthe opening scene is a scene in which a conversation is made between theplayer 5 and the virtual character, the main action A211 is an action inwhich the virtual character makes a series of conversations to theplayer 5.

The interrupt action A212 is an action of the virtual character that isexecuted in response to a specific action of the player 5 toward thevirtual character during the execution of the main action A211, and themain action A211 is suspended for execution of the interrupt actionA212. In this specification, an action performed by the player 5 duringexecution of the main action may be referred to as a specific action.The interrupt action A212 may be a reaction to the specific action ofthe player 5. For example, in a case where the specific action is motionof touching the head of the virtual character, the interrupt action A212may be a motion of the virtual character expressing surprise at thetouching motion of the player. When the suspension condition issatisfied by the specific action being performed, the suspension processA41 is performed instead of the interrupt action A212.

After the interrupt action A212 is executed, the return action A213 isperformed, and thereafter, the main action A211 is resumed. The returnaction A213 is an action for naturally returning to the conversationperformed in the main action A211. The execution of the main action A211is temporarily suspended by the interrupt action A212, and it ispossible to return to the main action A211 more naturally by interposingthe return action A213, instead of directly returning from the interruptaction A212 to the main action A211. The return action A213 is, forexample, speaking a conjunction colloquially such that the virtualcharacter says “so” or “well”. By speaking a colloquial conjunction justbefore returning to the main action A211, it is possible to returnnaturally to the conversation in the main action A211. The main actionA211 is resumed from the point of being interrupted by the specificaction.

As described above, the suspension determination is performed inparallel with the execution of the actions A11, A21 to A23, and A31 toA33, and when it is determined that the suspension condition issatisfied during the execution of any of the actions, the suspensionprocess A41 for suspending the currently executed action is performed.In the suspension process A41, the main action being executed issuspended. Further, in the suspension process A41, a scene transitionscreen displayed at the time of switching between scenes may displayedin order to let the player 5 know that switching to another action,another scene, or another mode is to be performed. The scene transitionscreen will be described later.

In one embodiment, after the suspension process A41 is performed in theaction A21, the game may be resumed at the action (eg, the action A31)in the lower level situated below the suspended action. For example, theaction A31 may be executed after the scene transition screen isdisplayed in the suspension process A41 for suspending the action A21.In this way, the action A21 satisfying the suspension condition isskipped after it is determined that the interruption condition issatisfied and the suspension process A41 is performed, and then anotheraction (for example, the action A31) in the lower level is started.

In another embodiment, a scene termination process A51 may be executedafter the suspension process A41 is performed in the action A21. Thatis, in response to the determination that the suspension condition issatisfied, a termination process for terminating the opening sceneincluding the action A21 in execution may be performed. In the scenetermination process A51, the opening scene in which the action A21 isperformed is ended, the VR process proceeds to step S42, and a processfor executing the basic scene subsequent to the start scene is startedin this step S42.

In still another embodiment, a VR termination process A61 may beexecuted after the suspension process A41 is performed in the actionA21. In the VR termination process A61, the process for terminating theVR mode and shifting to the chat mode is performed. This VR terminationprocess A61 is the same process as the ending process in step S48described later.

When the suspension process A41 is not performed (that is, when thesuspension condition is not satisfied in the opening scene), the openingscene is ended when the action A31, the action A32, the action A33 inthe terminal layer, or the action A23 ends, and the VR process proceedsto step S42.

In step S42, the basic scene to be executed is selected from among aplurality of possible basic scenes. Selection of the basic scene to beexecuted is performed from among a plurality of possible basic scenesprepared for the first scenario, for example, according to the parameterdata 28 d. In the first scenario, three basic scenes corresponding tothe basic scene data B1 to B3 illustrated in FIG. 4 are provided. In oneembodiment, the basic scene to be executed is selected from among thesethree basic scenes based on the favorability rated by the virtualcharacter with respect to the player 5, the favorability is stored asthe parameter data 28 d. For example, when the favorability is equal toor higher than a first threshold value, the basic scene corresponding tothe basic scene data B1 is selected. When the favorability is lower thana second threshold value, the basic scene corresponding to the basicscene data B3 is selected. When the favorability is equal to or higherthan the second threshold value and lower than the first thresholdvalue, the basic scene corresponding to the basic scene data B2 isselected. Selection of the basic scene may be performed by any othermethod other. For example, the basic scene may be randomly selected. Thebasic scene may be randomly selected after performing weighting of thepossible basic scenes so that the probability that some basic scene(s)(for example, the first basic scene corresponding to the basic scenedata B1) are selected becomes higher as the favorability is higher. Themethod of selecting the basic scene is not limited to the methodexplicitly described in the specification. Once the basic scene isselected, the VR process proceeds to step S43.

In step S43, the basic scene selected in step S42 is executed. Morespecifically, image information of the virtual space corresponding tothe basic scene is generated, and an image corresponding to the imageinformation is output to the display 24. In the basic scene, the virtualcharacter may perform a prescribed action in the virtual space. As withthe opening scene, the action which the virtual character performs inthe basic scene may be defined as a series of branchable actions. Aseries of branchable actions in the basic scene may have a datastructure similar to the data structure shown in FIG. 12. In the samemanner as the opening scene, the suspension determination may beperformed in parallel with the execution of the actions in the basicscene. If it is determined that the suspension condition is satisfied inthe suspension determination, the suspension process for suspending theaction in execution is performed. The suspension process in the basicscene may be performed in the same manner as the suspension process A41in the opening scene. Similarly to the opening scene, after thesuspension determination in the basic scene is performed, a process forshifting to an action in the lower layer from the suspended action, thetermination process of the basic scene, or the termination process ofthe VR mode may be performed. The switch condition is set for the basicscene. When the action situated in the bottom layer in the basic sceneis completed, the basic scene ends and the VR process proceeds to stepS44.

In step S44, it is determined whether the condition for switching to theadditional scene set for the basic scene executed in step S43 issatisfied. In the determination, the condition for switching to theadditional scene included in the basic scene data (for example, thebasic scene data B1) corresponding to the basic scene executed in stepS43 is retrieved from the storage 27, and it is determined whether thecondition is satisfied in the basic scene executed in step S43. Forexample, when the switch condition is that the player gazes at an objectrepresenting a door in the virtual space for more than three seconds,counted is the duration of time in which the gazing point of the player5 in the virtual space is located on the object representing the door,and it is determined that the switch condition is satisfied when thecounted time is three seconds or longer. The gazing point of the player5 in the virtual space is calculated on the basis of the orientation ofthe HMD 10 calculated based on the detection information from the sensorunit 25. The condition for switching to the additional scene may or maynot be explicitly presented to the player 5 at the time of execution ofthe basic scene. For example, in the basic scene, the virtual charactermay speak to the player 5 the line corresponding to the condition forswitching to the additional scene.

When it is determined that the switch condition is not satisfied, the VRprocess proceeds to step S45, whereas when it is determined that theswitch condition is satisfied, the VR process proceeds to step S46.

In step S45, a first ending scene is executed. More specifically, imageinformation of the virtual space corresponding to the first ending sceneis generated, and an image corresponding to the image information isoutput to the display 24.

In step S46, an additional scene is executed. More specifically, imageinformation of the virtual space corresponding to the additional sceneis generated, and an image corresponding to the image information isoutput to the display 24. Similarly to the opening scene, the actionthat the virtual character performs in the additional scene may bedefined as a series of branchable actions. A series of branchableactions in the additional scene may have a data structure similar to thedata structure shown in FIG. 12. When the action situated in the bottomlayer in the additional scene is completed, the additional scene endsand the VR process proceeds to step S47.

In step S47, a second ending scene is executed. More specifically, imageinformation of the virtual space corresponding to the second endingscene is generated, and an image corresponding to the image informationis output to the display 24. The image displayed in the second endingscene may be the same as or different from the image displayed in thefirst ending scene.

In the same manner as the opening scene and the basic scene, thesuspension determination may be performed in parallel with the executionof the actions in the additional scene, the first ending scene, and thesecond ending scene. If it is determined that the suspension conditionis satisfied in the suspension determination, the suspension process forsuspending the action in execution is performed. The suspension processin the additional scene, the first ending scene, and the second endingscene may be performed in the same manner as the suspension process A41in the opening scene. Similarly to the opening scene, after thesuspension determination in the additional scene, the first endingscene, and the second ending scene is performed, a process for shiftingto an action in the lower layer from the suspended action, thetermination process of the scene in execution, or the terminationprocess of the VR mode may be performed.

In the above-described VR process, when switching between scenes isperformed, a scene transition screen may be generated and the scenetransition screen may be displayed on the display 24. The scenetransition screen is any screen that allows the player 5 to recognizethat the scene is to be switched. For example, the scene transitionscreen may be a fade-out screen having the entire image is colored inblack. This fade-out screen may be displayed at least one timingselected from the group including: at the time of switching from theopening scene to the basic scene (before displaying the VR screen in thebasic scene); at the time of switching from the basic scene to the firstending scene (before displaying the VR screen in the first endingscene); at the time of switching from the basic scene to the additionalscene (before displaying the VR screen in the additional scene); and atthe time of switching from the additional scene to the second endingscene (before displaying the VR screen in the second ending scene).

When movement of the head of the player 5 is detected by the sensor unit25 of the HMD 10 while the VR image 90 is displayed on the display 24,an action of the player 5 is specified based on the detected movement ofthe head. Then, an action (reaction) of the virtual character responsiveto the specified action of the player 5 is determined. Subsequentlyimage information of the virtual character image 91 that performs thespecified action is generated. The image information generated in thisway is output to the display 24. For example, when a nodding motion ofthe player 5 is detected, image information of the virtual characterimage 91 taking a reaction to the action of the player 5 which is thenodding is generated, and the image information is displayed on thedisplay 24. In this manner, in the VR mode, interaction between theplayer 5 and the virtual character is realized using the stereoscopicimage of the virtual character.

In the above-described steps S41, S43, S45 to S47, the parameter(s) setfor the player 5 may be increased or decreased according to theaction(s) of the player 5. As described above, the increase/decreaseamount or change rate of the parameter may be determined based on thechange amount (for example, increase amount or decrease amount) or thechange rate (increase rate or decrease rate) of the parameter determinedfor each type of the action of the player 5. When the change amount orthe change rate of the parameter is specified, the parameter data 28 dis updated based on the specified change amount or change rate of thefavorability.

In step S48, the termination process of the VR mode is performed. Thetermination process may include, displaying, on the display 24, guidancefor prompting the player to remove the information processing device 20from the attachment 11, and displaying a login screen to log in to thechat mode which is the first mode.

The above VR process is executed by the VR mode execution unit 21 c. TheVR mode execution unit 21 c is capable of executing the VR process aloneor in cooperation with other functions as needed.

The game processing system according to another embodiment will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a block diagramillustrating a game processing system 101 according to anotherembodiment. The game processing system 101 includes the informationprocessing device 20, and the HMD 110. The game processing system 101 isdifferent from the game processing system 1 in that the VR mode can beprovided without attaching the information processing device 20 to theHMD 110. Hereinafter, the game processing system 101 will be describedfocusing on the differences from the game processing system 1.

The HMD 110, the information processing device 20, and the server 50 arecommunicably interconnected over the network 40. The HMD 110 and theinformation processing device 20 may be connected so as to communicatewith each other according to a short-range wireless system such asBluetooth (registered trademark) without using the network 40. The HMD110 is different from the HMD 10 of the game processing system 1 in thatthe VR mode can be provided even if the information processing device 20is not mounted.

The HMD 110 includes a computer processor 121, a memory unit 122, acommunication I/F 123, a display 124, a sensor unit 125, a soundcollector 126, and a storage 127. The computer processor 121, the memoryunit 122, the communication I/F 123, the display 124, the sensor unit125, the sound collector 126, and the storage 127 are configuredsimilarly to the computer processor 21 the memory 22, the communicationI/F 23, the display 24, the sensor unit 25, the sound collector 26, andthe storage 27 of the information processing device 20, respectively.However, the display 124 may not have a touch-screen panel.

The functions of the chat mode execution unit 21 a, the switchprocessing unit 21 b, and the VR mode execution unit 21 c aredistributed between the information processing device 20 and the HMD110. Specifically, the function of the chat mode execution unit 21 a isrealized in the information processing device 20, and the function ofthe VR mode execution unit 21 c is realized in the HMD 110. A part ofthe function of the switch processing unit 21 b is realized by theinformation processing device 20, and the rest is realized in the HMD110. The function of the parameter management unit 21 d is realized byboth the information processing device 20 and the HMD 110.

The image data 28 a, the chat data 28 b, the scenario data 28 c, theparameter data 28 d, the suspension condition data 28 e, and the gameprogress data 28 f are stored in one or both of the storage 27 and thestorage 127. Alternatively these data may be stored in a storage otherthan the storage 27 and the storage 127.

When starting the game in the game processing system 101, the player 5uses the information processing device 20 to start the chat mode. Theprocess for executing the chat mode is performed by the chat modeexecution unit 21 a of the information processing device 20.

When the mode switch condition is satisfied in the chat mode and theswitch start object is selected, the mode switch process switching tothe VR mode is started. The mode switch process is performed by theswitch processing unit 21 b. In the mode switch process, displaying theguidance corresponding to the above-described step S31 is performed inthe information processing device 20. For example, guidance promptingthe player to put on the HMD 110 is displayed on the display 24 of theinformation processing device 20. Displaying the switch object 86corresponding to step S32 and subsequent processes are executed in theHMD 110.

When the VR mode is started, the processing of the VR mode is performedby the VR mode execution unit 21 c of the HMD 110.

In another embodiment, the game processing system 1 or the gameprocessing system 101 processes games other than games that provideinteraction with virtual characters, such as role playing games,shooting games and any other games. In the game according to thisembodiment, the game scenario is composed of a plurality of game scenes.FIG. 14 schematically shows a plurality of scenes constituting a gameaccording to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the game in theembodiment includes a plurality of scenes including nine scenes B11, B21to B23, and B31 to B35. Each of the plurality of scenes may be branchedinto two or more scenes. For example, the scene B11 is branched intothree scenes B21 to B23. When the game is executed, a destination sceneis selected at each branch point according to selection made by theplayer 5, the values of various parameters, and various otherconditions. In each scene, the game progresses in accordance withcommand sets stored in advance in the storage 27, the storage 127, orother storage. The command set of each scene includes the actions thatthe player character is able to perform in the scene, the actions thatthe non-player character is able to perform in the scene, the dataconcerning the image and position of the object(s) displayed in thescene, and any other information necessary for execution of the scene.In the embodiment, the suspension condition data 28 e may include datadefining a scene suspension condition that is a condition for suspendingthe game in execution in the VR mode or a scene executed in the game.The scene suspension condition may be the same as the suspensioncondition for suspending the action.

Determination whether the scene suspension condition is satisfied may beperformed in parallel to the processing of the scenes B11, B21 to B23,B31 to B35, and other scenes. The determination of the scene suspensioncondition may be performed by, for example, the suspension determinationunit 21 c 5. When it is determined that the scene suspension conditionis satisfied in a scene, the suspension process for suspending theprocessing of the scene is performed. After the suspension process, thegame may be resumed from a scene situated in a lower layer below thesuspended scene. For example, when the scene B21 is suspended, the gamemay be resumed from the scene B31 or the scene B32 located downstreamthereof. The process for terminating the VR mode may be performed afterthe suspension process is performed on a scene. Further, in thesuspension process of suspending the scene, the scene transition screenmay be displayed to let the player 5 know that switching to anotherscene or another mode is going to be performed.

According to the above embodiments, the following advantageous effectscan be obtained. According to the game processing system 1, 101described above, when the suspension condition is satisfied duringexecution of a predetermined action in a predetermined scene (forexample, the action A21 in the opening scene), the action is suspended.Therefore, there is no need to define the reaction of the virtualcharacter to the action of the player that is to be executed after thesuspension condition is satisfied. Accordingly, it is possible tosuppress an increase of the data defining the action of the virtualcharacter performed responsive to the action of the player or the dataamount of the command set for each scene (for example, the data amountof the scenario data 28 c).

Further, according to the game processing system 1, 101, since the scenetransition screen is displayed when the action or scene is suspended, itis possible to naturally interrupt the action or the scene.

In addition, an action that is deemed inappropriate in the real worldmay be defined as the banned action, and the game may be suspended whensuch an action is performed toward the virtual character. It isdifficult to predetermine reactions of the virtual character to theactions considered to be inappropriate in the real world. Whereas if thevirtual character performs a normal reaction to the inappropriate actionor does not perform any reaction, the normal reaction would be deemedunnatural as a reaction to the inappropriate action in the real world.According to the above-described game processing system 1, 101, bysuspending the execution of the game when an action that is deemedinappropriate in the real world is made, so that it is possible toprevent the virtual character from taking an unnatural reaction (or noreaction). In this way, it is possible to enhance a sense of reality ofcommunication with the virtual character can be increased.

Embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to the above embodimentsbut various modifications are possible within a spirit of the invention.For example, some or all of the functions executed by the computerprocessor 21 and the computer processor 121 may be realized by acomputer processor which is not shown in the above-mentioned embodimentwithout departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the gameprocessing system 1 and the game processing system 101 may include agame machine that executes at least a part of the game processingprogram. Some of the functions realized by processing by the computerprocessor 21 or the computer processor 121 may be realized by processingperformed by the game machine.

Embodiments of the disclosure may include various devices, devices, andelectronic components other than those described above. For example, inaddition to the information processing device 20 and the HMD 10, 110,the game processing system 1 and the game processing system 101 may beprovided with a control device for accepting operations of the player 5.The game processing system 1 and the game processing system 101 maydetect operations of the player 5 via the control device and process thegame in accordance with the detected operations. The virtual characterin the virtual space may be controlled based on data or commands otherthan the data concerning actions of the virtual character included inthe scenario data 28 c. For example, the virtual character may becontrolled to move in synchronization with movements of a player otherthan the player 5. In one embodiment, the server 50 may generate ananimation of a virtual character based on motion data indicating bodymovements and/or facial expression movements of the player other thanthe player 5. The server 50 may cause the display 24 of the informationprocessing device 20 to display an image of the virtual space includingthe virtual character generated as described above. In this way, theplayer 5 is able to interact with the virtual character moving insynchronization with the movements of another player. Generation of ananimation that moves in synchronization with movements of a player(user) is described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-236152, thecontent of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Inone embodiment, an animation of a virtual character moving insynchronization with movements of the player 5 in the real space may begenerated based on motion data indicating body movements and facialexpression movements of the player 5, and the virtual space may includethe virtual character of the player 5. In this way, the player 5 is ableto interact with other player(s) through the virtual character in thevirtual space.

The procedures described herein, particularly those described with aflowchart, are susceptible of omission of part of the steps constitutingthe procedure, adding steps not explicitly included in the stepsconstituting the procedure, and/or reordering the steps. The proceduresubjected to such omission, addition, or reordering is also included inthe scope of the present invention unless diverged from the purport ofthe present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A game processing system for processing a gamethat provides interaction between a player of the game and a virtualcharacter, the system having one or more computer processors and astorage that stores action data for specifying one or more actions ofthe virtual character and one or more computer processors, the gameincludes a VR mode in which the game progresses in accordance withdetection information obtained by a head mounted display, including aninformation processing device, attached to a head of the player, the oneor more computer processors configured to: determine an action of theplayer performed toward the virtual character based on the detectioninformation obtained by the head mounted display attached to the head ofthe player; cause the virtual character to interact with the playerbased on the action of the player; and suspend execution of the VR modeif a suspension condition is satisfied.
 2. The game processing system ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more computer processors is configured toperform, if the suspension condition is satisfied, a switch process forswitching from the VR mode to a non-VR mode in which the game progressesin accordance with an input from the information processing deviceunattached to a head of the player.
 3. The game processing system ofclaim 2, wherein the game includes a non-VR mode in which the gameprogresses in accordance with an input from an information processingdevice unattached to the head of the player; wherein the one or morecomputer processors is configured to: determine, in the non-VR mode, anaction of the player performed toward the virtual character based on theinput obtained from the information processing device unattached to thehead of the player; cause the virtual character to interact with theplayer based on the action of the player.
 4. The game processing systemof claim 3, wherein the one or more computer processors is configured toperform a switch process for switching from the non-VR mode to the VRmode if it is determined that a switch mode selection is made by theplayer.
 5. The game processing system of claim 1, wherein the suspensioncondition is satisfied if a banned action is performed by the playertoward the virtual character.
 6. The game processing system of claim 5,wherein the banned action is a predetermined action corresponding to aninappropriate action in the real world.
 7. The game processing system ofclaim 1, wherein the suspension condition is satisfied if a gazing pointdetermined based on the detection information is located on a prohibitedarea set in a virtual space.
 8. The game processing system of claim 1,wherein the suspension condition is satisfied if the player repeats asame action more than a predetermined number of times.
 9. The gameprocessing system of claim 1, wherein the suspension condition issatisfied if the player performs an action on a predetermined part ofthe virtual character more than a predetermined number of times.
 10. Thegame processing system of claim 1, wherein the storage stores aparameter, wherein the one or more computer processors is configured toupdate the parameter in accordance with the action of the player, andwherein the suspension condition includes a condition related to theparameter.
 11. The game processing system of claim 1, wherein the one ormore computer processors is configured to determine whether thesuspension condition is satisfied in response to the action performed bythe player in the VR mode.
 12. The game processing system of claim 11,wherein the one or more computer processors is configured to execute aninterrupt action if it is determined that the suspension condition isnot satisfied.
 13. A method of processing a game that providesinteraction between a player of the game and a virtual character byexecuting computer readable instructions by one or more computerprocessors, the game includes a VR mode in which the game progresses inaccordance with detection information obtained by a head mounteddisplay, including the information processing device, attached to a headof the player, the method comprising: determining an action of theplayer performed toward the virtual character based on the detectioninformation obtained by the head mounted display attached to the head ofthe player; causing the virtual character to interact with the playerbased on the action of the player; and suspending execution of the VRmode if a suspension condition is satisfied.
 14. A computer-readabletangible non-transitory storage medium storing a program for processinga game that provides interaction between a player of the game and avirtual character, the game includes a VR mode in which the gameprogresses in accordance with detection information obtained by a headmounted display, including the information processing device, attachedto a head of the player, the computer-readable tangible non-transitorystorage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed,cause one or more computer processors to perform: a step of determiningan action of the player performed toward the virtual character based onthe detection information obtained by the head mounted display attachedto the head of the player; a step of causing the virtual character tointeract with the player based on the action of the player; and a stepof suspending execution of the VR mode if a suspension condition issatisfied.